Latest news with #IEH
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
IEH Corporation Files Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2025
BROOKLYN, NY / ACCESS Newswire / June 12, 2025 / IEH Corporation (OTC PINK:IEHC) today filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025. Highlights include: 34% Increase in Revenue over Fiscal Year 2024$4.34M Improvement in Operating Income72% increase in cash on hand, compared to prior year For the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2025, IEH had revenues of $28,783,861 as compared to $21,524,544 for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2024 reflecting a 33.7% increase; operating income of $574,862 for Fiscal Year 2025 as compared to an operating loss of $3,760,887 for Fiscal Year 2024 reflecting a $4,335,749 improvement; net income of $999,038 for Fiscal Year 2025 as compared to a net loss of $2,916,902 for Fiscal Year 2024 reflecting a $3,915,940 improvement; and a basic earnings per share of $.42 as compared to a basic loss per share of $1.23 for Fiscal Year 2024. Dave Offerman, President and CEO of IEH Corporation commented, "By almost any discernible metric, IEH's financial health has improved considerably this past year. Our revenue was 3rd-highest in our history, our cash position has improved dramatically since this time last year, inventory relative to revenue is down, and we were profitable in both operating and net income. Our margins continue to be lower than desired due to the rise in our material costs, but price adjustments implemented over the last several months will bolster our gross margins going forward and be reflected in future financial statements. After declining for several months, our backlog has stabilized, and our sales pipeline remains strong. Changes in the competitive landscape offer opportunities to win market share, and we continue to intensify our marketing efforts to target new industries for our signature Hyperboloid products. As previously noted, growth and improvements may still be uneven from one quarter to the next while the commercial aircraft industry continues to produce below their target levels, but our long-term forecasts for that sector, along with strong growth projections in our defense-related business and commercial space launch bode well for IEH in the years ahead. So while it's possible that revenue in Fiscal Year 2026 will be slightly lower than 2025, the overall strength of our sales pipeline, along with efforts underway to improve our product mix and diversify our markets served, should lead to considerable long-term growth. On behalf of the management team and staff of IEH, we again wish to express our sincere gratitude for the support of our valued shareholders. We look forward to sharing more positive news in the coming months and quarters." About IEH Corporation For over 80 years and 4 generations of family-run management, IEH Corporation has designed, developed, and manufactured printed circuit board (PCB) connectors, custom interconnects and contacts for high performance applications. With its signature Hyperboloid technology, IEH supplies the most durable, reliable connectors for the most demanding environments. The Company markets primarily to companies in defense, aerospace, medical, space and industrial applications, in the United States, Canada, Europe, Southeast and Central Asia and the Mideast. The Company was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Certain statements contained in this press release, and in related comments by the Company's management, include "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation, statements or expectations regarding our financial condition, statements or expectations regarding our revenues, cash and backlog, expectations regarding future cash requirements, revenue and revenue recovery, including for fiscal year 2026 and beyond, projected timelines for making our SEC filings or successfully preventing our registration from suspension or revocation and expectations regarding our efforts and ability to resolve our inventory accounting issues are forward-looking statements. These statements often include words such as "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," "will," "may," "would," "should," "could," or similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements are based on certain assumptions that the Company has made on its current expectations and projections about future events. The Company believes these judgments are reasonable, but you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results, and you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company's actual performance or results could differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, both positive and negative, as they will depend on many factors about which we are unsure, including many factors beyond our control. Among other items, such factors could include: any claims, investigations or proceedings arising as a result of our past due periodic reports, including changes in the proceedings related to the SEC's Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings and Notice of Hearing pursuant to Section 12(j) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; our ability to remediate our inventory accounting issue; our ability to reduce costs or increase revenue; changes in the macroeconomic environment or in the finances of our customers; changes in accounting principles, or their application or interpretation, and our ability to make accurate estimates and the assumptions underlying the estimates; our ability to attract and retain key employees and key resources; and other risk factors discussed from time to time in our filings with the SEC, including those factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on June 12, 2025, and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in our filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. Except as may be required by applicable law, we do not undertake or intend to update or revise our forward-looking statements, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information or future events or developments. Thus, you should not assume that our silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures we make in our filings with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect our business. Contact: Dave OffermanIEH Corporationdave@ SOURCE: IEH Corp.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
IEH Corporation Files Form 10-K for Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 2025
BROOKLYN, NY / / June 12, 2025 / IEH Corporation (OTC PINK:IEHC) today filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025. Highlights include: 34% Increase in Revenue over Fiscal Year 2024 $4.34M Improvement in Operating Income 72% increase in cash on hand, compared to prior year For the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2025, IEH had revenues of $28,783,861 as compared to $21,524,544 for the Fiscal Year ended March 31, 2024 reflecting a 33.7% increase; operating income of $574,862 for Fiscal Year 2025 as compared to an operating loss of $3,760,887 for Fiscal Year 2024 reflecting a $4,335,749 improvement; net income of $999,038 for Fiscal Year 2025 as compared to a net loss of $2,916,902 for Fiscal Year 2024 reflecting a $3,915,940 improvement; and a basic earnings per share of $.42 as compared to a basic loss per share of $1.23 for Fiscal Year 2024. Dave Offerman, President and CEO of IEH Corporation commented, "By almost any discernible metric, IEH's financial health has improved considerably this past year. Our revenue was 3rd-highest in our history, our cash position has improved dramatically since this time last year, inventory relative to revenue is down, and we were profitable in both operating and net income. Our margins continue to be lower than desired due to the rise in our material costs, but price adjustments implemented over the last several months will bolster our gross margins going forward and be reflected in future financial statements. After declining for several months, our backlog has stabilized, and our sales pipeline remains strong. Changes in the competitive landscape offer opportunities to win market share, and we continue to intensify our marketing efforts to target new industries for our signature Hyperboloid products. As previously noted, growth and improvements may still be uneven from one quarter to the next while the commercial aircraft industry continues to produce below their target levels, but our long-term forecasts for that sector, along with strong growth projections in our defense-related business and commercial space launch bode well for IEH in the years ahead. So while it's possible that revenue in Fiscal Year 2026 will be slightly lower than 2025, the overall strength of our sales pipeline, along with efforts underway to improve our product mix and diversify our markets served, should lead to considerable long-term growth. On behalf of the management team and staff of IEH, we again wish to express our sincere gratitude for the support of our valued shareholders. We look forward to sharing more positive news in the coming months and quarters." About IEH Corporation For over 80 years and 4 generations of family-run management, IEH Corporation has designed, developed, and manufactured printed circuit board (PCB) connectors, custom interconnects and contacts for high performance applications. With its signature Hyperboloid technology, IEH supplies the most durable, reliable connectors for the most demanding environments. The Company markets primarily to companies in defense, aerospace, medical, space and industrial applications, in the United States, Canada, Europe, Southeast and Central Asia and the Mideast. The Company was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York. Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 Certain statements contained in this press release, and in related comments by the Company's management, include "forward-looking statements." All statements, other than statements of historical facts, including, without limitation, statements or expectations regarding our financial condition, statements or expectations regarding our revenues, cash and backlog, expectations regarding future cash requirements, revenue and revenue recovery, including for fiscal year 2026 and beyond, projected timelines for making our SEC filings or successfully preventing our registration from suspension or revocation and expectations regarding our efforts and ability to resolve our inventory accounting issues are forward-looking statements. These statements often include words such as "believe," "expect," "estimate," "plan," "will," "may," "would," "should," "could," or similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements are based on certain assumptions that the Company has made on its current expectations and projections about future events. The Company believes these judgments are reasonable, but you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results, and you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company's actual performance or results could differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, both positive and negative, as they will depend on many factors about which we are unsure, including many factors beyond our control. Among other items, such factors could include: any claims, investigations or proceedings arising as a result of our past due periodic reports, including changes in the proceedings related to the SEC's Order Instituting Administrative Proceedings and Notice of Hearing pursuant to Section 12(j) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; our ability to remediate our inventory accounting issue; our ability to reduce costs or increase revenue; changes in the macroeconomic environment or in the finances of our customers; changes in accounting principles, or their application or interpretation, and our ability to make accurate estimates and the assumptions underlying the estimates; our ability to attract and retain key employees and key resources; and other risk factors discussed from time to time in our filings with the SEC, including those factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on June 12, 2025, and in subsequent reports filed with or furnished to the SEC. Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in our filings with the SEC. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. Except as may be required by applicable law, we do not undertake or intend to update or revise our forward-looking statements, and we assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information or future events or developments. Thus, you should not assume that our silence over time means that actual events are bearing out as expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. You should carefully review and consider the various disclosures we make in our filings with the SEC that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that may affect our business. Contact: Dave OffermanIEH Corporationdave@ SOURCE: IEH Corp. View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
Expert tips for better sleep in economy class on a plane
With some preparation before and during the flight, you may be able to get some quality sleep on a long-haul flight in economy class. PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO Can you sleep well in economy class? Experts offer eight tips for a more restful flight SINGAPORE – The average economy class seat – with its more-than-75cm pitch , limited recline and barely-there legroom – may not be the most ideal setting for travellers looking to get a solid snooze at 30,000 ft. Yet, long-haul flights are getting longer, making restful sleep in the air less of a luxury and more of a necessity. Australian flag carrier Qantas is set to launch non-stop flights from Sydney to London in 2027 , which will take over 20 hours. And on June 3, Scoot launched flights from Singapore to Austrian capital Vienna, the low-cost carrier's longest non-stop route at roughly 13 hours. With minimal adjustability and basic features, economy class seats embody what Mr Yogesh Tadwalkar, director of ergonomics consulting company Synergo Consulting and health tech start-up BalanceFlo AI, describes as an 'all-for-all design'. 'All-for-all designs are good for no one. This is a common design issue in the field of human factors where things get so generic that they don't work well for anybody,' he says. Mr Zephan Chan, a director at Singapore consultancy Institute of Ergonomics and Hygiene (IEH), and Ms Phoebe Huang, IEH's head of ergonomics, agree. They list 'prolonged awkward and sedentary posture' among the ergonomic risk factors that contribute to physical malaise during flights. 'Without proper lumbar, head or neck support, some of the consequences are lower back and shoulder discomfort. Sitting still for long hours on a plane can also restrict blood flow and cause lower limb discomfort or, in more serious cases, deep vein thrombosis,' she says. Today, nearly 80 per cent of all seats on commercial aircraft are economy class seats, according to a December 2024 article on travel booking platform The article also said economy tickets typically cost between 30 and 50 per cent less than premium economy, and up to 80 per cent less than business class airfare. In order to remain accessible, the design of economy seating is largely utilitarian. Seats are built to be durable and easy to clean, with comfort often taking a back seat to cost efficiency. Psychiatrist and sleep physician Wong Sheau Hwa, who runs a private practice, says environmental factors like noise, lighting, air quality and temperature are heightened in economy class due to the shared, confined space. This may build stress and anxiety in passengers, and make it harder to fall asleep. 'The ideal setting for restful sleep is somewhere comfortable and familiar, and where you feel safe,' adds Dr Wong, who was the deputy chairman of the Civil Aviation Medical Board, a division within the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, from 2019 to 2022. Travellers who are light sleepers, like healthcare worker Natalie Lim, may also find it harder to sleep well on planes. Ms Lim, 31, who travels two to three times a year and flies mostly in economy class, says small movements from other passengers – like using her seatback as support when getting up or shuffling to go to the washroom – often wake her easily. She says: 'Usually, I take along a hoodie and wear it backwards with the hood covering my face to block out light. I also listen to music on my earphones instead of using ear plugs, so it drowns out cabin noise more effectively.' Seats in economy are largely utilitarian in design with little need for constant maintenance. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG A 30-year airport traffic forecast by global organisation Airports Council International World, released in February, projected that global passenger numbers will reach 22.3 billion by 2053. This is nearly 2.4 times its projected volume in 2024. With traveller numbers set to grow exponentially, it is unlikely that economy seats will improve in comfort. 'Economy class seats are designed without many adjustable functions because airlines are trying to manage the high variability in population and keeping the maintainability of the seats low,' says Mr Tadwalkar, who also served as the president of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Singapore from 2007 to 2014. 'Technically, it's very easy to make economy class seats more adjustable. But if thousands of people are using the functions repeatedly – let's say, over a month – then it's more likely to break. That's why it's easier to just make a fixed product,' he adds. While airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Eva Air have introduced some ergonomic features in their seats – like six-way adjustable headrests and ergonomically designed backrest contours – the road to a fully supportive and comfortable economy class seat is long. Global passenger traffic is set to increase exponentially over the coming decades. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG Nonetheless, experts say there are ways to catch some good shut-eye without needing to upgrade to a premium class. Here are eight tips from the pros. 1. Do use sleep accessories One of the biggest barriers to sleep on a plane is the sensory overload. Bright cabin lights, crying babies and the steady hum of the engines can make it hard to drift off. Pack a good quality eye mask and noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to create your own sensory bubble. Look for features that can more effectively counter environmental sleep disruptions, like total blackout eye masks with contoured eye cushions or earplugs that mould to the shape of your inner ear. IEH's Mr Chan says these tools can help block out disruptions and help your body relax – even while your seatmate is still wide awake. 2. Do keep your neck and spine aligned Your spine is not built to sleep in an upright position and, when forced to do so, pressure builds in the neck and lower back – making it harder to maintain a comfortable posture for sleep. Dr Kelvin Ng, clinic director at Family Health Chiropractic Clinic, says the amount of pressure on one's spinal discs increases significantly when sitting versus standing. Standing subjects your spine to pressure equivalent to around 100 per cent of your body weight, while sitting upright increases that to 150 per cent and bending forward to pick something up can increase it to 275 per cent, he adds. Dr Ng advises travellers to use a supportive travel pillow that allows the neck to remain in a stable position, and suggests they place a pillow or rolled-up article of clothing behind their lower backs to maintain lumbar support. Both can help create a more comfortable posture that will aid good rest. 3. Do recline your seat While some passengers may hesitate out of courtesy, the recline feature is meant to be used – especially on red-eye flights. Just be mindful of meal times or the person behind you before reclining all the way. Mr Tadwalkar says that, ideally, seats should be reclined to achieve a resting angle of between 100 and 120 degrees for better sleep. Online, aviation and traveller communities estimate the average economy class seat recline pitch to be between 5 and 15cm , or roughly between five and 19 degrees. While attaining the optimal resting angle may be difficult in economy class, just a few centimetres of recline can help to take pressure off your lower back and reduce strain on your neck, he says. Just a few centimetres of recline can help to take pressure off your lower back and reduce strain on your neck. PHOTO: AIR FRANCE 4. Do visit a chiropractor If you frequently experience back or neck pain after flying, it might be worth consulting a chiropractor. Some travellers have underlying posture issues that are made worse in cramped seating. Dr Ng says travellers can consider visiting a chiropractor before their trip to identify misalignments and get recommended exercises or support tailored to their bodies to ensure better spine health. For instance, for those with forward head posture – a condition in which the head extends forward from the shoulders, and is common among people who use their devices for extended periods – doing a neck retraction exercise by drawing the chin back several times can help to improve neck strength and flexibility. 5. Don't rely on your footrest Economy class footrests – if available – make for good temporary relief, especially when trying to improve circulation. But Mr Tadwalkar advises keeping your feet flat on the floor and avoiding prolonged use of footrests. He explains that propping one's feet up on footrests often strains the knees and closes the hip angle – the angle between the upper body and thighs – to less than 90 degrees. 'The less-than-90-degree angle has three effects. First, it compresses your internal organs, resulting in discomfort. Second, it hampers the natural blood circulation to the lower body, causing soreness in the feet. And most importantly, it takes away the natural 'S' curve of your back, and instead puts it in kyphosis, which is an excessive rounding of the spine into a 'C' shape, leading to backache,' he says. Dr Ng also discourages passengers from sleeping with their feet on their seats and hugging knees to their chests, as it increases pressure on the spine and unnecessarily strains muscles. 6. Don't take sleep medication excessively It may be tempting to take a sleeping pill, but Dr Wong cautions that sleep aids may impair cognitive function and affect one's ability to respond adequately in the event of an emergency. 'While sleep aids may improve the ability to get to sleep, the sleep obtained may not necessarily be restful,' he says, adding that people often consume melatonin – a supplement used to promote sleep – in the hope that it will induce sleepiness in the same way sleeping pills do. 'If you use melatonin like a sleeping pill, you'll be utterly disappointed. It does help with sleep but if one uses it wrongly, it might create more problems, like pushing your natural sleep timing back,' he explains. Consume melatonin supplements a few hours before sleep instead of immediately before bedtime. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG He observes that people often self-medicate with melatonin and take various doses at different timings. 'The correct window to take it is at a natural, physiological timing before sleep, which could be at around 8 or 9pm, rather than immediately before sleep,' Dr Wong says. Consult a doctor before consuming sleeping aids and test it on land before using it in the air. 7. Don't keep your arms on the armrest While armrests may feel like the only place to rest your elbows, leaving your arms there for hours can restrict blood flow and cause shoulder or neck tension. Mr Tadwalkar says most armrests in today's commercial aircraft are typically built too high for the average Asian person. It props their elbows up and creates more tension in the shoulders and thoracic spine, which includes the mid-back region between the neck and lower back. Instead, he suggests supporting your arms on a pillow or relaxing them on your upper thighs. Using a small blanket or scarf to create a cradle for your arms by draping the fabric over your shoulders, and loosely tying it at the front or back, can also relieve muscle strain while you sleep. 8. Don't refuse food or snacks Many passengers skip meals to try sleeping through the flight, but an empty stomach can make it harder to fall asleep – and stay asleep. Hunger can make it harder to fall asleep, so have a meal or keep snacks handy on flights. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH 'If you're hungry, it's often impossible to sleep because it feels very uncomfortable. Keep snacks handy and have something here and there before you fly or somewhere in the middle of the flight,' Dr Wong says. Opt for in-flight snacks like cheese and crackers, or take along your own. Avoid caffeine and sugar close to bedtime, as these can disrupt sleep cycles. Steer clear of greasy and spicy foods too close to bedtime, as foods high in fat are harder to digest and may cause indigestion, while spices can trigger heartburn. Sarah Stanley is a journalist at The Straits Times who covers travel, lifestyle and aviation. Check out the Headstart chatbot for answers to your questions on careers and work trends.
New Paper
5 days ago
- New Paper
Go on, recline your seat: Experts offer eight tips for a more restful flight
The average economy class seat - with its more-than-75cm pitch, limited recline and barely-there legroom - may not be the most ideal setting for travellers looking to get a solid snooze at 30,000 ft. Yet, long-haul flights are getting longer, making restful sleep in the air less of a luxury and more of a necessity. Australian flag carrier Qantas is set to launch non-stop flights from Sydney to London in 2027, which will take over 20 hours. And on June 3, Scoot launched flights from Singapore to Austrian capital Vienna, the low-cost carrier's longest non-stop route at roughly 13 hours. With minimal adjustability and basic features, economy class seats embody what Mr Yogesh Tadwalkar, director of ergonomics consulting company Synergo Consulting and health tech start-up BalanceFlo AI, describes as an "all-for-all design". "All-for-all designs are good for no one. This is a common design issue in the field of human factors where things get so generic that they don't work well for anybody," he says. Mr Zephan Chan, a director at Singapore consultancy Institute of Ergonomics and Hygiene (IEH), and Ms Phoebe Huang, IEH's head of ergonomics, agree. They list "prolonged awkward and sedentary posture" among the ergonomic risk factors that contribute to physical malaise during flights. "Without proper lumbar, head or neck support, some of the consequences are lower back and shoulder discomfort. Sitting still for long hours on a plane can also restrict blood flow and cause lower limb discomfort or, in more serious cases, deep vein thrombosis," she says. Today, nearly 80 per cent of all seats on commercial aircraft are economy class seats, according to a December 2024 article on travel booking platform The article also said economy tickets typically cost between 30 and 50 per cent less than premium economy, and up to 80 per cent less than business class airfare. In order to remain accessible, the design of economy seating is largely utilitarian. Seats are built to be durable and easy to clean, with comfort often taking a back seat to cost efficiency. Psychiatrist and sleep physician Wong Sheau Hwa, who runs a private practice, says environmental factors like noise, lighting, air quality and temperature are heightened in economy class due to the shared, confined space. This may build stress and anxiety in passengers, and make it harder to fall asleep. "The ideal setting for restful sleep is somewhere comfortable and familiar, and where you feel safe," adds Dr Wong, who was the deputy chairman of the Civil Aviation Medical Board, a division within the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, from 2019 to 2022. Travellers who are light sleepers, like healthcare worker Natalie Lim, may also find it harder to sleep well on planes. Ms Lim, 31, who travels two to three times a year and flies mostly in economy class, says small movements from other passengers - like using her seatback as support when getting up or shuffling to go to the washroom - often wake her easily. She says: "Usually, I take along a hoodie and wear it backwards with the hood covering my face to block out light. I also listen to music on my earphones instead of using ear plugs, so it drowns out cabin noise more effectively." Seats in economy are largely utilitarian in design with little need for constant maintenance. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG A 30-year airport traffic forecast by global organisation Airports Council International World, released in February, projected that global passenger numbers will reach 22.3 billion by 2053. This is nearly 2.4 times its projected volume in 2024. With traveller numbers set to grow exponentially, it is unlikely that economy seats will improve in comfort. "Economy class seats are designed without many adjustable functions because airlines are trying to manage the high variability in population and keeping the maintainability of the seats low," says Mr Tadwalkar, who also served as the president of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Singapore from 2007 to 2014. "Technically, it's very easy to make economy class seats more adjustable. But if thousands of people are using the functions repeatedly - let's say, over a month - then it's more likely to break. That's why it's easier to just make a fixed product," he adds. While airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Eva Air have introduced some ergonomic features in their seats - like six-way adjustable headrests and ergonomically designed backrest contours - the road to a fully supportive and comfortable economy class seat is long. Global passenger traffic is set to increase exponentially over the coming decades. ST PHOTO: TARYN NG Nonetheless, experts say there are ways to catch some good shut-eye without needing to upgrade to a premium class. Here are eight tips from the pros. 1. Do use sleep accessories One of the biggest barriers to sleep on a plane is the sensory overload. Bright cabin lights, crying babies and the steady hum of the engines can make it hard to drift off. Pack a good quality eye mask and noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs to create your own sensory bubble. Look for features that can more effectively counter environmental sleep disruptions, like total blackout eye masks with contoured eye cushions or earplugs that mould to the shape of your inner ear. IEH's Mr Chan says these tools can help block out disruptions and help your body relax - even while your seatmate is still wide awake. 2. Do keep your neck and spine aligned Your spine is not built to sleep in an upright position and, when forced to do so, pressure builds in the neck and lower back - making it harder to maintain a comfortable posture for sleep. Dr Kelvin Ng, clinic director at Family Health Chiropractic Clinic, says the amount of pressure on one's spinal discs increases significantly when sitting versus standing. Standing subjects your spine to pressure equivalent to around 100 per cent of your body weight, while sitting upright increases that to 150 per cent and bending forward to pick something up can increase it to 275 per cent, he adds. Dr Ng advises travellers to use a supportive travel pillow that allows the neck to remain in a stable position, and suggests they place a pillow or rolled-up article of clothing behind their lower backs to maintain lumbar support. Both can help create a more comfortable posture that will aid good rest. 3. Do recline your seat While some passengers may hesitate out of courtesy, the recline feature is meant to be used - especially on red-eye flights. Just be mindful of meal times or the person behind you before reclining all the way. Mr Tadwalkar says that, ideally, seats should be reclined to achieve a resting angle of between 100 and 120 degrees for better sleep. Online, aviation and traveller communities estimate the average economy class seat recline pitch to be between 5 and 15cm, or roughly between five and 19 degrees. While attaining the optimal resting angle may be difficult in economy class, just a few centimetres of recline can help to take pressure off your lower back and reduce strain on your neck, he says. Just a few centimetres of recline can help to take pressure off your lower back and reduce strain on your neck. PHOTO: AIR FRANCE 4. Do visit a chiropractor If you frequently experience back or neck pain after flying, it might be worth consulting a chiropractor. Some travellers have underlying posture issues that are made worse in cramped seating. Dr Ng says travellers can consider visiting a chiropractor before their trip to identify misalignments and get recommended exercises or support tailored to their bodies to ensure better spine health. For instance, for those with forward head posture - a condition in which the head extends forward from the shoulders, and is common among people who use their devices for extended periods - doing a neck retraction exercise by drawing the chin back several times can help to improve neck strength and flexibility. 5. Don't rely on your footrest Economy class footrests - if available - make for good temporary relief, especially when trying to improve circulation. But Mr Tadwalkar advises keeping your feet flat on the floor and avoiding prolonged use of footrests. He explains that propping one's feet up on footrests often strains the knees and closes the hip angle - the angle between the upper body and thighs - to less than 90 degrees. "The less-than-90-degree angle has three effects. First, it compresses your internal organs, resulting in discomfort. Second, it hampers the natural blood circulation to the lower body, causing soreness in the feet. And most importantly, it takes away the natural 'S' curve of your back, and instead puts it in kyphosis, which is an excessive rounding of the spine into a 'C' shape, leading to backache," he says. Dr Ng also discourages passengers from sleeping with their feet on their seats and hugging knees to their chests, as it increases pressure on the spine and unnecessarily strains muscles. 6. Don't take sleep medication excessively It may be tempting to take a sleeping pill, but Dr Wong cautions that sleep aids may impair cognitive function and affect one's ability to respond adequately in the event of an emergency. "While sleep aids may improve the ability to get to sleep, the sleep obtained may not necessarily be restful," he says, adding that people often consume melatonin - a supplement used to promote sleep - in the hope that it will induce sleepiness in the same way sleeping pills do. "If you use melatonin like a sleeping pill, you'll be utterly disappointed. It does help with sleep but if one uses it wrongly, it might create more problems, like pushing your natural sleep timing back," he explains. Consume melatonin supplements a few hours before sleep instead of immediately before bedtime. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG He observes that people often self-medicate with melatonin and take various doses at different timings. "The correct window to take it is at a natural, physiological timing before sleep, which could be at around 8 or 9pm, rather than immediately before sleep," Dr Wong says. Consult a doctor before consuming sleeping aids and test it on land before using it in the air. 7. Don't keep your arms on the armrest While armrests may feel like the only place to rest your elbows, leaving your arms there for hours can restrict blood flow and cause shoulder or neck tension. Mr Tadwalkar says most armrests in today's commercial aircraft are typically built too high for the average Asian person. It props their elbows up and creates more tension in the shoulders and thoracic spine, which includes the mid-back region between the neck and lower back. Instead, he suggests supporting your arms on a pillow or relaxing them on your upper thighs. Using a small blanket or scarf to create a cradle for your arms by draping the fabric over your shoulders, and loosely tying it at the front or back, can also relieve muscle strain while you sleep. 8. Don't refuse food or snacks Many passengers skip meals to try sleeping through the flight, but an empty stomach can make it harder to fall asleep - and stay asleep. Hunger can make it harder to fall asleep, so have a meal or keep snacks handy on flights. PHOTO: ST FILE "If you're hungry, it's often impossible to sleep because it feels very uncomfortable. Keep snacks handy and have something here and there before you fly or somewhere in the middle of the flight," Dr Wong says. Opt for in-flight snacks like cheese and crackers, or take along your own. Avoid caffeine and sugar close to bedtime, as these can disrupt sleep cycles. Steer clear of greasy and spicy foods too close to bedtime, as foods high in fat are harder to digest and may cause indigestion, while spices can trigger heartburn.
